Mail catching and transferring apparatus.



P. BLANKENBBRGER.-

MAIL .GATGHING AND TRANSFBRRING APPARATUS. v,

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1908. l l

- Patented July 20, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ANunEw. a. GRAHAM co., vuoto-mnocmvuiws. wAsmNGmu. .1. c.

F. BLANKENBERGER.

MAIL GATGHING J@LND TRANSPBRRING-APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 'IAN.'21, 1908. A

Patented July 2 0, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNrTED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

FRANK BLANKENBERGER, OF PHILADELPHIA., PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIL CA'ICHING AND TRANSFERRING- APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F RANK BLANKEN- BERGER, a citizen of Austria-Hungary, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail Catching and Transferring Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for supporting, catching, removing, suspending, transferring and delivering mail sacks carrying devices with respect to a moving train and has for its object the transfer of one or more sacks of mail matter in a simple and efficient manner without exposing the attendant during the time that the apparatus is in operation, so as not to endanger' the life and limbs of such attendants when adjusting the mail for delivery and transfer.

Another object of my invention is the transfer of either one or more sacks in a single operation.

A further object of my invention is the transfer of the mail to a place where it can be safely removed.

A still further obj ect of my invention is to allow the sacks to swing freely without being thrown against an object which might be damaged or cause the sacks to be damaged;

A further object of my invention is to prevent the mail-sacks carrying device from catching during its transfer.

A further object of my invention is to make my apparatus portable and reversible.

lVith these and other objects in view my invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will Ybe hereafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1, is a perspective view of my improved apparatus in connection with a railway mail car; Fig. 2, is a plan view of my improved mailsack carrier; Fig. 3, is a side view ofthe above, showing its position in the car doorway; Fig. 4, is a detail view of the car mailsack carrier catching apparatus; Fig. 5, is a plan view of the same, also showing the manner of clamping it within the car; Fig.

G is a perspective view of a doorway block g' l projects a simil-arlL 12 provided -with a rod Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led January 21, 1908.

Patented July 2o, 190e.

Serial No. 411,872.

Fig. 7 is a view of a swinging bracket in connection with thecar mail catching apparatus; Fig. 8 is a view of a platform catching and delivering apparatus; and Fig. 9, is a detail view showing themanner of supporting the catching arm.

Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A mail car 2, having the usual door-opening 3, and floor 4, is provided on each side of the doorway with openings 5, 5, for inserting a removable and reversible mail sack carrier catching apparatus 6. Resting on the car floor 4, is shown a mail-sack carrier 7, on which mail sacks S, are piled up and fastened thereto by ropes 9. In front of the mail car and at a fixed distance from the nearest rail 60, and preferably not less than 4 feet 4 inches therefrom is shown the. platform apparatus 10a provided with a catching L 12, a platform 13, supported thereon a inail-sack carrier 7, said carrier being an exact counterpart of carrier 7, and consists v of a plate 15, hooks 16, a ring 17 and projections 18. c

The car inail-sack carrier catching apparatus G, consists of a bracket 19, to be fastened within a car wall as at 61, in front of the opening 5. The bracket 19, is channeled as at 20, for pivoting'a double socket 21, on a pin 22, and for permitting said socket to swing as shown in the dotted position. The bracket 19, is provided with an inverted U 23, carrying a spring 24, to which is attached a rod 25, formed into an axle 26, for a grooved wheel 27, to engage a rod 2S, projecting from the socket 21. Two lrods 29, 29 project from bracket 19, to support swinging catches 30, 30', provided with slots 31, 31 to pass over a pin 32 passing through the rod 2S. Clamps 33, 33, support the bracket 19, in front of the opening 5.

rlChe platform apparatuslO, consists of an upright 34, plates 35, 35, a platform 13, a brace 36, a catch 37, and a pocket 38. A bracket 39, is attached to upright 34, at 40,

by bolts 41, 41. It carries a pin 42, on which is pivoted a socket 43, provided with a shoulder 44, to rest against bracket 39, at 63. The socket 43, is thus held in a horizontal position when in use, but is free to be swung upward when not in use. From the double socket 21, projects an l. 12, provided with a rod 45, on the leg 64, of the L, and with a hook 46, on the arm 65.' From socket 43 45 on the leg 64, and with a hook 46 on the arm G5. The hook 46, is formed of a rod bent to slant from the end 47 of arm 65, as 4S, then curved inwardly as at 66, then straight and slanting but nearer to arm 65 than the projecting portion 45, as 49, then bent on itself as 50 and slanting toward arm 65. rlhe hook 46 is inevery respect similar to hook 46. The construction, form and shape of these hooks are of prime importance and will be separately claimed. A block 53 is provided with pins 54, 54, to be inserted in holes 55, 55', of the car floor 4, to prevent the mail carrier 7, from being caught within the car.

r1`he modus operandi is as ollowsz-Assuine a mail car moving in the direction of the arrow. The inail-sack carrier catching apparatus is clamped within the wall with L 12 projecting through opening 5, and with its arm G5 pointing in the direction of the arrow. rhe slot 31 of bracket 30 is passed over the under portion of pin 32 to hold the L in a horizontal position. The mail sack carrier is placed on floor 4, with project-ions 18 resting against the edge 5S of doorway 3, and with ring 17 projecting outward. rlhe platform apparatus 10 posted in front of the track, preferably not less than 4 feet 4 inches from the nearest rail, has its L 12 projecting` toward the car with its arm G5 point-ing in the opposite direction to the arm G5 of the L 12. On the platform 13 of upright 34, is placed a inail-sack carrier 7 similar to that in the car doorway.

The Ls 12, and 12 are in position to pass, as near as possible, through the centers of the rings 17, and 17. As the car rushes by, hook 4G passes through ring 17, and sweeps carrier 7 oit platform 13. The ring 17 passes over hook 46 and impinges on the leg G4 of L 12, throwing it backward, which causes bracket 30 to drop, allowing spring 24 to cause rod 28 to swing until the arm G5 of L 12 projects within the doorway as shown by the dotted position. The momentum carries the carrier over the leg G4 of the L, until it strikes the rod 45 projecting therefrom, when its motion is reversed and is caused to move on the inside ot the hook due to its shape, until it st 1ikes against the portion 4G of the hook where it is joined to the arm 55 of the L. 1t is then reversed again and 'forced between the slanting portions 49 and 50 et the hook where it remains suspended ready to be removed by the car attendant. The arm G5 ot L 12 passes through ring 17 of carrier 7, and sweeps it out of the car doorway 3, block 53 preventing it from catching in the doorway, and after passing through the same motions as carrier 7 remains suspended ready for removal. Should the mail car be running in an opposite direction, the car apparatus is unclamped, and clamped in front of opening in an inverted order, swing bracket 30 being substituted for bracket 30. Pin 67, is withdrawn from socket 43, L 12 turned half way around and the pin inserted again. lVhen not in use, the car apparatus may be removed, and the L 12 of the platform apparatus pushed up causing socket 43 to swing over pin 42 until the rod 45 passes within the pocket 38 of upright- 34 and the top of the L passes under catch 37.

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent ier- 1. In combination with a railway mail car provided with doorways and a floor space, openings on each side of the doorways, a bracket within the car and means for attaching the bracket in front of any one of the openings; a double socket pivoted in the bracket, a rod projecting from the socket inwardly within the car, an L projecting from the socket outwardly, two rods project-- ing from the bracket within the car, swing- .ing brackets provided with slots pivoted on said rods, a vertical pin passing through the socket rod for the slot of either one of the swinging bracketsl to pass over it to hold the rod in a horizontal position, an inverted Ll attached to the detachable bracket, a spring mounted thereon, a rod attached to said spring, having one end bent to form an axle. a grooved wheel mounted on the axle and engaging the socket rod to cause the socket rod to swing when the swinging bracket is ott the pin.

2. The combination ot a railway mail car and a channeled bracket mounted thereon, a double socket pivoted horizontally in the channel, a. rod projecting inwardly from the socket an L consisting of a long leg and a short arm at right angles to the leg projecting outwardly trom the socket, a pin passing if'ertically through the inwardly projecting rod, a rod projecting inwardly from the detachable bracket, a bracket swingingly mounted thereon and provided with a slotto engage the port-ion of the pin pointing downward to hold the socket rod in a horizontal position. l

ln combination with a railway mail car provided with doorways and a Hoor space, an opening, and a detachable bracket attached within the car and in 'front of the opening, a double socket pivoted in the bracket, a rod projecting from the socket inwardly, a pin passing through the rod and pointing upward and downward, a rod, a swinging socket pivotcd thereon and provided with a slot to engage the pin on the underside of the socket rod to hold said rod in a horizontal position,`an L projecting from the socket outwardly, a hook attached thereto, an upright fixed in front of the car, a plati'orin on top of said upright, a mail sacks carrier provided with a ring for the hook to pass through it supported by the platform, to be swept off said platform by the projecting L as the mail car passes by the upright, said carrier to produce an impact on the L to cause it to move and release the swinginf bracket to cause the spring on the inverted U to swing the L in front of the doorway.

d. In combination with a mail transferring apparatus mounted on a mail car provided with doorways and a fioor space and moving on a track, a platform apparatus consisting of an upright fixed in front of the car track and not less than a fixed minimum distance therefrom, a bracket attached thereto, a pin carried by said bracket, a socket pin to swing over said pin, a movable L projecting from said socket, a pin to fix the L in said socket, a hook attached to the L, a mail sacks carrier provided with a ring and projecting through the car doorway for the hook of the L to pass through as the car runs past the upright to sweep said carrier out of the doorway, and a block attached to the car floor to jjirevent the carrier from catching in the doorway.

5. In combination with two mail catching apparatus mounted respectively on a mail car running on a track and on a plat-form in front of the track and provided with Ls consisting of a leg and an arm, the end of said arln bent on itself and slanting away from the arm, curved inward and again slanting away from the arm, parallel to the first slanting portion, but nearer to the arm, then doubled on itself, and slanting inwardly toward the arm for the purpose set forth.

(i. In a catching and transferring apparatus mounted on a mail car and comprising a double socket with a projecting rod and a projecting L, a bracket, a pin passing through the rod to be engaged by the bracket when an impact is produced on the L, and a device constituting the double means of rst allowing the bracket to release the rod, and then causing the rod to swing.

T. In combination with a mail sack catching and transferring apparatus, a mail sack carrier consisting of a platform, hooks fastened therein and near the edges thereof, some of said hooks projecting through the platform, and a ring fastened to the platform midway between the projecting hooks for the purposes set forth.

S. In combination with a mail sack catching and transferring apparatus, an upright, a. platform mounted thereon, to support a mail sack carrier and provided with an edge for the carrier projections to rest against it, a bracket attached to the upright, a pin and a socket pil-voted thereon supported by said bracket, a movable L consisting of a leg and an arm, the leg supported in the socket, a pin to fix it in the socket, a hook attached to the arm, and a rod passing through the leg.

9. In a mail sack catching and transferring apparatus, an upright, a platform mounted thereon, a bracket attached thereto, a pin supported by the bracket, a socket pivoted on the pin, and a means in connection with the socketA to hold the socket in a horizontal position.

l0. In combination with mail sacks catching and transferring apparatus consisting of an upright fixed in front' of a car track and provided witha socket and with an' L having its leg extending from the socketv and at right angles to the track and an arm parallel to the track, a railway mail car provided with al doorway and a floor space to support a mail sack carrier provided with extensions to be held in a fixed position of the doorway to cause a ring attached to the carrier to pass centrally over the arm of the L when the car is in motion.

11. In a railway mail car moving on a track the combination of mail sack catoliing and transferring apparatus consisting in a bracket, a double socket pivoted therein, a leg of an 'L extending from the socket exterior to the car and at right angles to the track, an arm at right angles to the leg, and a fixed upright in front of the track, a platform mounted thereon to support a mail sack carrier provided with extensions to rest against the platform in a fixed position and with a ring to allow the arm of the L to pass centrally through the carrier ring.

12. In a railway mail car provided with a doorway, a mail catching and transferring apparatus and comprising a pivoted double socket provided with an L consisting of a leg and an arm extending outward and a`rod extending inward, a means to hold the socket in a horizontal position, said means to be released by an impacty against the L, in combination with a means to cause the L to swing in front of the doorway and the arm of the L to pass within the doorway.

13. lIhe combina-tion of a railway mail car on a track and provided with doorways, a floor space and openings, and a fixed upright supporting a platform in front of the track, a mail sack catching and transferring apparatus consisting of a mail sack-carrier supported by the platform of the upright, a catching device swingingly mounted in a detachableland invertible bracket, a releasable means to hold the catching means in a horizontal position, a means to swing the catching device in front of the car doorway, a carrier on the floory and in the car doorway, a revoluble catching means swingingly supported by the upright, a means to hold said catching means in a horizontal position when the apparatus is in operation, and a means to hold the catching means in a vertical position when not in operation.

14. In combination with a railway mail car running on a track and provided with means for supporting a mail sack-carrier g', vided by the car, and Wthvka catching means and With means for catching a sack carrier, catching means to prevent the carrier from 10 a fixed upright in front of the track and proslipping off the catching means.

vided with means for supporting a sack cary In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set rer to be caught by the catching means pro- I my hand and seal in the presence of two Subscrbing Witnesses.

to catch a mail sack carrier supported on the *I -FRANK BLANKENBERGER, [LS] car at the time when the 'carrier on lche up- Witnesses;

right is caught by the catching means pr0- MARY E. HAMER,

vided by the car, and means attached to the JULIA R. MCDONOUGH. 

